The Citizen, 2016-12-22, Page 15THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2016. PAGE 15.
Community Christmas dinner set for Goderich
Continued from page 11
around the holidays.
She said the family didn't lack for
presents when it was time for
Christmas, so she looks back on
those times as fortunate ones
compared to others who weren't
quite as fortunate.
Clark said he would always take
part in Sunday School around the
holidays, while Douglas remembers
the annual candlelight service being
a big part of her life around
Christmas. All of her siblings also
sang in the church choir, so they had
entertaining to do around Christmas
time.
Around the holidays, while
Douglas was in the Hamilton area,
both sets of her grandparents lived in
Mitchell, so she remembers annual
trips to Mitchell for a big family
Christmas that she didn't always
want to end.
She remembers travelling out to
the Mitchell -area farm and having a
get-together with each side, one of
which contained 21 grandchildren.
She said those nights were always
filled with games and fun and she
hoped the wind would blow and
snow would fall so they weren't able
to leave, which was the case on a
number of occasions.
When Clark and Douglas first
began seeing one another, they spent
time together in western Canada
before making their way to Blyth in
2008.
Soon after they first put roots
down in Blyth, they began a tradition
of their own that has persisted and
grown in Blyth: hosting a Christmas
Day dinner at Blyth United
Church.
From his childhood days, Clark
knew the importance of opening his
home around the holidays to those
who had nowhere else to go or no
one else to be with. It was in this
spirit that he and Douglas began
welcoming people to the church on
Christmas Day for a hot meal and
fellowship on one of the most
important days on the calendar.
The meal is historically open to
anyone who's free and who wants to
come by the church that day. It has
proven to be popular throughout the
community, although Clark and
Douglas are taking the show on the
road this year for the first time,
hosting the meal at Lakeshore
United Church in Goderich.
With both Clark and Douglas
serving as ministers throughout
Huron County, they agree that
Christmas for them extends far
beyond just one day and it's really
more of a season in their house, as
well as in their churches.
Christmas really begins with
Advent in the weeks leading up to
Christmas. Clark's sermons begin to
focus on Christmas and everyone
begins getting into the Christmas
spirit far before Dec. 25.
In addition, while some look
forward to December and getting
into the Christmas spirit in the
traditional sense, Clark and Douglas
said that the holidays can also be a
challenging time for a lot of people,
so they have to keep that in mind as
well.
Christmas can bring up a lot of
feelings for some people, Clark said,
A pair of choirs
At Blyth United Church's final Advent service before Christmas, part of the program was a
holiday pageant and guitar choir. The guitar group performed alongside the church's choir,
providing festive music to the congregation. From left: Connor Brooks, Braidon Abell, Heidi
Badley, Marissa Nesbitt and Rev. Gary Clark. (Vicky Bremner photo)
Greetings
At this special time of
year, we'd like to share
our thanks and best
wishes with our valued
customers and friends.
Open year round,
7 days a week
May the spirit of Christmas
touch all earth's creatures with its
magic and warmth. Let us share
with others our most treasured
gifts of peace, love and goodwill.
This is our wish to you from the
management and staff of
Bainton's, the original Old Mill in
downtown Blyth since 1894.
Bainton's Old Mill
is closed Christmas day.
44 .
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BAINTON'S
W.WtLoMlwp Uwn
Downtown Byth 519-523-4740 I baintons@tcc.on.ca
reminding them of grief or difficult keeping that in mind and serving all
times, so part of being a minister is people around the holidays.
Cl3xi61tma6,
Ptom wee ,./s, at
COMMUNITY LIVING
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Friends. Family. Festivity.
May your holiday contain all the makings of a joyous season.
Thank you for making this past year a bright one for us.
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Jifo!!,
GREETINGS OF THE SEASON
As we celebrate the gladness and the glory
of this holy season, we'd like to express our
deepest feelings of friendship and goodwill to all of you.
tFaleaknP/c
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Blyth Chapel
Clinton Chapel 519-482-9521
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